The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-27
THE GREAT YACHT RACE TO-DAY
Something About the Thistle and the
Volunteer.

Volunteer.
The first race of the Scotch yacht Thistle
and the american yacht Volunteer for the
Americas cup comes OF to-day. A great deal
of interest in the match has been manifested
in all parts Of the country, and the follow
ing information concerning the yachts and
their designers may prove of general
interest:
The Thistle was conceived in secret,
shaped in secret, and launched in shroud
She has been the cause of more fanciful
sletching and more coniectural writing
than the Flying Dutchman's ghostly craft
There is no international copyright in
yachts and her designer wished To enjoy
monopoly of his own originality. There is
nothing else afioat that exactly resembles
the Thistle. But Mr.. Watson did not cur
tain his ideal from possible American imi-
tators only. He wished to screen it from
the whole world, and even more particularly
from British rivals.
As she sits ON the water it is easy TO see
that she is trim and handsome boat
There is good shear, the lines running in
graceful sweep from knightheads to taffrail
She is said to sit very low in the water, but
the yachting editor of the London Sports
man measured her least freeboard, and
found it feet inches, which is not low.
The fact is, probably, that being long and
beautifully modelled, she does not show how
high she is, for it is likely that she is as
long asthe full estimate of 105 feet. Amer
leans will hope that the Sportsman made
no error, and that her bow, as some say it
is, is very high out of water, for a high
bow is not good bow in working to wind
ward
The mast of the Thistleis stepped well
forward. 1t will be remembered that the
Genesta's was stepped so that it appeared to
be exactly in the middle of the deck Judg-
ing from the rake of the Thistle's stern post
and the cutting away of her bow, it is said
that her keel is very short and that the bal
last is carried abaft the mast, or pretty near
where sloop's centreboard would be-
Under the water her sides rise up with
gradual sweep out and are not straight up
and down like those of the Galatea Her
cross section is said TO be very like that of the
Vandaura, built by the same designer. Her
bows do not flare out. however, as Wetson's
earlier boats did the beams forward rising
very straight on each side. It will thus
happen that when she pluugeS down over a
heavy swell with her nose roofing up the
foam, the water will offer little if any more
resistance than when she is on a level keel
She will split her way through the waves
instead of crushing them out of the way.
Her counter, too, is much larger than the
Genesta's showing how she fines away aft
beneath the water
OF the construction of the hull we know
that it is done as well as Scotch workmen
can do it, There is a collision bulkhead for
ward, and there are partial bulkheads
abreast the rigging and wherever excep-
tional strength is needed. There are extra
keelsons and frames, too The has very
little rail.
Her spars are very lofty. As she fioated
beside the Genesta it was noticed that her
truck was from Is to Is feet above that of
the craft that was defeated here. Her de-
signer, Mr.. Watson, found that the New
York Yacht Club rules did not tax sail area
very much and took advantage of this de
feet by building a boat that could carry on.
Her boom is said to be 4 Is feet longer than
the Mayhower's, and ~ feet longer than
the Volunteers. With the enormous hoist
which the photograph indicates, she must
carry mainsail that will make her sailors
sweat, and it may make the owners of the
Yankee sloops sweat too Her spars are of
Oregon pine.
The following table gives the known di-
mansions of the three crack British cutters
and tho fxua a elooDg.